Page 28 of Take The Risk

We were two days away from being able to move back into the Murder Manor, Lock was due for his first baseball game at the end of the week, and I wasn’t sure I’d slept since this whole nightmare began.

​“A night at Louise’s is not what I’d call ‘restful.’” Cady-Jo grinned.

​“It’s not so bad.” I was still careful with what I said. These women were still new to me, and I didn’t want to offend anyone by accident.

​“Oh, please.” Cady-Jo patted my arm. “Between her snoring, the kids snoring, and then her getting up before God decides to grace us with the sun? It’s a miracle anyone ever gets sleep there.”

​She wasn’t wrong about that.

​Chuckling, I swapped out a mauve paint sample for a darker green/blue one. “I don’t mind.” Well, I did, but it was ungrateful to complain when someone did something nice for you.

​“You’re a better woman than I am, and I’m her cousin!” She looked at the sample in my hand. “Is that for your living room?”

​“I was thinking about it.” I grabbed a moss green sample, adding it to my collection. “I want something soothing and calm, but I can never decide which color I like best.”

​“It’s a tough choice,” Cady-Jo agreed. “Speaking of choices…”

​I lifted my head curiously.

​“Did you decide if you’re going with Brockmann Construction?”

​Oh, that. “I wasn’t going to.” Then I rushed to explain. “Not because I’m not profoundly grateful to you, Ty, and Dalton for what you’ve done. I just feel horrible that this put everyone out. I’m—” I hesitated then told myself to suck it up. New Phoebe was in the house. “I’m just not used to people wanting to help, if that makes sense? Atlanta is so different. It’s almost like Game of Thrones sometimes, everyone out for themselves. But Ty and Dalton convinced me it was something they really wanted to do.”

​Ty’s face, which I can only describe as giddy, came to mind. He’d been walking me through what he thought should be done, the way he could restore this or restore that, and it was hard not to agree when someone’s excitement was that infectious.

​Cady-Jo put a hand on my shoulder, her face a visage of understanding. Thank God. “I get it. I truly do. Especially after what happened with your ex, trust is a difficult thing to give to anyone.”

​And she knew just how difficult. It would have been funny if it weren’t so tragic how similar our lives had been in some of the most crucial ways.

​“But you have friends here now. And we’re always happy to help.” Why did I tear up hearing that? “So do I take this to mean you’re going with Brockmann Construction?”

​I nodded, unable to speak for a moment. Friends. I had friends who wanted to help me here. It wasn’t like I didn’t have friends who wanted to help me back in Atlanta. I did. And they were less hard on my blood pressure than Alex, but something about this felt so different.

​“Fantastic. I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to influence you. You know, ‘I got my son to help you, so give his company business.’”

I nodded, laughing.

“Given you’ve decided, I can tell you Ty’s dreamed of renovating that place for years. I thought he might buy the place himself at one point…er…”

​Well, that made me feel a whole lot better, and maybe worse, too? “Why didn’t he?” Ah, hell. I could have smacked myself in the face. “That’s private. Pretend I didn’t ask.”

​I grabbed another paint sample without looking then grimaced, putting it back.

​“He actually tried.” Cady-Jo reached over and grabbed a deep, rich blue sample, offering it to me. “Mr. Winterbourne said he’d know when the right person came along. He said if that person didn’t come along while he was still alive, he’d leave Ty the house in his will.”

​He did? Mr. Winterbourne hadn’t told me that when I visited him. I liked the older man and didn’t like how alone he was, so I’d taken to visiting him once a week.

​“Oh, darn!” She looked at her watch. “I’m supposed to meet Helen and Louise for coffee. Are you going to come?”

​My mind was reeling from the new information. It actually made me glad I went with Brockmann Construction, even though I had to wonder how Ty felt working on the house he’d wanted to own.

​“Huh? Come?” She asked me to go somewhere?

​“To coffee with Louise and Helen?”

​Oh. “I don’t want to impose.”

​Cady-Jo stopped dead only to put both hands on my shoulders. “Phoebe. You are not imposing. We want to be your friends. We want to include you. Yes, you’re new, and we still have a lot to get to know about one another, but we can tell that you’re good people. And we’re pretty awesome people, so we’d like you to join us.”